Richard Gordon

April 2011 (This event has already taken place)

Modesty and a self-effacing demeanor are essential pre-requisites for Apollo astronaut and Dick Gordon had those in spades couples with a wicked sense of humor. A warm handshake, a funny anecdote and a twinkle in the eye greeted everybody that met Dick… and not just the ladies.

But one of the most telling moments of Dick’s visit was when he was asked at Larks Hill Junior School if his flight to the moon had changed him in any way. Recalling his Apollo 12 adventure he responded with evident emotion that the biggest impact for him personally was having the opportunity to share such a memorable experience with his two best friends.

#OTD John Glenn was strapped inside the spacecraft he named Friendship 7 which lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 14. During the four-hour, 55-minute flight he became the first American to orbit Earth.